Shower apparatus

ABSTRACT

Shower apparatus and methods particularly adapted whereby shower liquid, normally supplied at a first pressure, is intermittently for shorter periods of time supplied at a second pressure, substantially higher than said first pressure. The pressure of the liquid is increased by a piston which is intermittently driven by impact by a second piston, and the impacts of the pistons are cushioned, preferably by shower liquid supplied therebetween.

States atent [191 Luthi et all.

1 1 Mar.5, 1974 SHOWER APPARATUS [75] Inventors: Oscar Luthi; John 1. Rich, both of Nashua, N.1-1.

[73] Assignee: improved Machinery Inc., Nashua,

[22] Filed: Dec. 2, 1971 [21] Appl. No.1 203,989

[52] US. Cl 210/409, 210/412, 239/101 [51] Int. Cl

[56] References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,354,604 10/1920 Duggan 210/412 2,956,682 10/1960 Stephan..... 210/279 X 9 3,362,618 l/1968 Fort'inov 417/401 2,318,368 5/1943 Broughton 210/412 X Weller 210/391 Bold 25/32 581 Field ofSearch.. 92/143; 210/19, 79, 391, 412,-

1,225,596 5/1917 Bicalky 1. 210/412 X FOREIGN PATENTS OR APPLICATlONS 1,813,145 2/1970 Germany 417/401 Primary Examiner-John Adee Assistant Examiner-1vars Cintins Attorney, Agent, or FirmRobert R. Paquin; David W. Tibbott [5 7] ABSTRACT Shower apparatus and methods particularly adapted whereby shower liquid, normally supplied at a first pressure, is intermittently for shorter periods of time supplied at a second pressure, substantially higher than said first pressure. The pressure of the liquid is increased by a piston which is intermittently driven by impact by a second piston, and the impacts of the pistons are cushioned, preferably by shower liquid supplied therebetween.

11 Claims, 3 Drawing Figures SHOWER APPARATUS The present invention relates generally to shower apparatus and methods and more specifically to shower apparatus and methods particularly suited for employment with porous materials such as, for example, filter media of filters, paper machine felts and grind stones for pulp grinders.

Conventionally, porous materials of the types set forth frequently are provided with shower apparatus adapted to supply shower fluid onto the porous materials. By way of illustration, filters, such as used in the manufacture of pulp and paper and the filtering of sludge, are normally provided with shower apparatus which continuously supplies shower water or other cleaning liquid at constant pressure onto the filter medium.

In many applications of such filters, the cleaning liquid provided by the shower apparatus will, unless supplied in minimal volume, undesirably dilute the filtrate and/or the slurry to be filtered. Also, in many applications of shower apparatus, particularly in the pulp and paper making field, clean water is in short supply and, when employed as the cleaning liquid, must be used sparingly.

For these and other reasons, the liquid supplied through the shower apparatus frequently must be maintained at the minimum enabling the liquid to provide the desired cleaningeffect. However, increasingly, demands are arising that finer, harder-to-clean, porous materials be employed.

Moreover, in many applications of shower apparatus in the pulp and paper making field, white water (that is, recycled water containing varying fiber contents) is being employed as the shower liquid in place of clean water to save the latter. Such white water, when employed in conventional shower apparatus, normally necessitates the use of expensive and complicated selfcleaning nozzles, otherwise plugging of the shower discharge orifices will occur;

An object of the present invention is to provide a new and improved shower apparatus which is particularly constructed and arranged to enable more efficient cleaning than normally attained with prior apparatus for its purpose.

Another object of the invention is to provide a new and improved shower apparatus which is particularly constructed and arranged to minimize the volume of shower fluid necessary for its operation.

Another object is to provide a new and improved shower apparatus which is particularly constructed and arranged to be self-cleaning, thereby avoiding the necessity for expensive and complicated nozzles even though white water or other similar liquid be employed as the shower fluid.

Another object is to provide a new and improved shower apparatus which is particularly constructed and arranged to supply a pulsating flow of fluid.

Another object is to provide a new and improved shower apparatus of the type set forth which is particularly constructed and arranged to provide only minimal noise during its operation.

Another object is to provide a new and improved shower apparatus of the type set forth which is relatively simple and economical in construction and operation.

In accordance with the present invention, a shower apparatus for a porous material such as a filter medium, may comprise means providing at least one shower discharge orifice operatively associated with the porous material for discharging shower liquid onto the porous material, means defining supply chamber means connected to said shower discharge orifice for supplying shower liquid to said shower discharge orifice, supply conduit means connected to said supply chamber means for supplying shower liquid at a first pressure to said supply chamber means, said supply conduit means communicating through said supply chamber means with said shower discharge orifice to permit shower liquid to normally continuously flow from said supply means to said shower discharge orifice through said supply chamber means, pressure increasing means di rectly associated with said supply chamber means actuatable for temporarily substantially increasing the pressure of liquid in said supply chamber means from said first pressure to a second pressure substantially higher than said first pressure, and actuating means for intermittently causing actuation of said pressure increasing means such that said supply chamber means normally supplies shower liquid at said first pressure to said shower discharge orifice and intermittently supplies shower liquid at said second pressure to said shower discharge orifice.

Other objects and advantages of the invention will be apparent from the following description taken in connection with the accompanying drawings.

Referring to the drawings:

FIG. 11 is a fragmentary perspective view illustrating an embodiment of the apparatus of the invention in combination with a porous material in the form of a filter medium of a rotary drum filter;

FlG. 2 is an enlarged, elevational sectional view of the embodiment of the apparatus shown in FlG. l; and

F IG. 3 is an enlarged sectional view of such apparatus taken on Line 33 of FIG. 2, looking in the direction of the arrows.

Referring more particularly to the drawings wherein similar reference characters designate corresponding parts throughout the several views, FIG. l illustrates an embodiment of the apparatus of the invention in combination with a rotary drum filter, designated generally as 10, having the usual circumferential filter medium 12. The rotary drum filter 10 may be of any suitable conventional construction and, hence, has not been shown in detail in FlG. 1. Moreover, although the pres ent invention has been illustrated and hereinafter de scribed with reference to a rotary drum filter, it will be understood that the invention is not limited to application with the filter medium of a rotary drum filter, but rather could alternatively be employed with other po rous materials such as, for example, the filter mediums of other types of filters, paper machine felts and grind stones for pulp grinders.

In the illustrated embodiment, the shower apparatus comprises shower conduit means in the form of a plurality of shower conduits M, 16 and means, designated generally as 118, for causing a pulsating flow of shower liquid to be supplied through the shower conduits l4, 16 onto the filter medium 12. The shower conduits l4, 16 are arranged to longitudinally extend along the length of the filter medium 12 in juxtaposed relationship and are retained spaced one from the other by a plurality of mounting brackets 20. The shower conduits l4, 16 are closed at their ends 14a, 160, but separately connected at their other ends 14b, 16b to a supply chamber 22 to individually receive shower liquid from the latter, and include portions 14c, 16c of their lengths containing discharge orifices or apertures opposing the filter medium 12 for discharging shower liquid onto the latter. As will be noted, the portions 140, 160 of the shower conduits l4, 16 are arranged to cause the conduits 14, 16 to supply the shower liquid to different portions of the length of the filter medium 12 whereby the conduit 14 effectively forms a longitudinal extension of the conduit 16.

The supply chamber 22 is contained within a housing element 24 fixedly mounted by mounting bolts 26 to depend from a support element 26 which is, in turn, connected by mounting bolts' 30 to a support frame 32. The support frame 32 encloses the housing element 24 and the there adjacent ends 14b, 16b of the conduits 14, 16 and, as shown in FIG. 1, is carried by a pedestal 32a.

The supply chamber 22 communicates through a supply conduit conduit 34 with a source of the water or other shower liquid and, during the operation of the apparatus, continuously receives shower liquid at constant pressure through the supply conduit 34. The supply chamber 22 is bounded along its upper side by the head 36 of a first or pressure increasing piston 38 which is slidably contained within a first cylinder 40, in the housing element 24, for movement towards-and-away from the supply chamber 22 and operable, upon downward movement towards the supply chamber 22, to substantially increase the pressure of the liquid in the supply chamber 22. The piston 38 is hollow and generally U-shaped in cross-section to contain a chamber 52 which opens through the upper or rearward end 58 of the piston 38; the supply conduit 34 contains a check valve (not shown) and/or is in cross-section substantially smaller than the supply conduits 14, 16 to minimize liquid back flow through the supply conduit 34 upon the aforesaid increased liquid pressure in the sup ply chamber 22. The piston 38 is biased upwardly away from the supply chamber 22 by the pressure of the liquid in the chamber 22 and also by a plurality of springs, one of which is shown in FIG. 2 as 42. The piston 38 is guided during its movement towards-and-away from the supply chamber 22 by pins 44 slidably received in openings 46 in the wall of the housing element 24. One or more resilient cushioning elements 48 may be provided for cushioning the engagement of the rearward end 50 of the piston 38 with the thereadjacent portion of the support element 28 upon movement of the piston 38 to its extreme upward position.

A cylinder housing 54, containing a second cylinder 56. is mounted by the mounting bolts 26 on the support element 28 with its contained cylinder 56 in alignment with the cylinder 40 and the therein piston 38. An elongated second or actuating piston 58, aligned with the first piston 38, is provided for intermittently downwardly driving the first piston 38 towards the supply chamber 22 to thereby actuate the first piston 38 to substantially increase the pressure of liquid in the supply chamber 22 and, hence,'substantially increase the pressure of the liquid supplied from the latter through the shower conduits l4, 16. The second piston 58 includes a head portion 60 slidably in the second cylinder 56, a narrowed neck portion 62 extending downwardly from the head portion 58 slidably through the passageway 64 defined by the wall 66, and an enlarged actuating portion 68 which projects downwardly from the neck portion 62 and is slidably within the chamber 52 in the first piston 38.

During the operation of the apparatus, the second piston 58 downwardly drives or actuates the first piston 38 by impact of the actuating portion 68 with the head 36 of the first piston 38. In order to cushion this impact and minimize resultant noise and wear of the pistons 38, 58, passage means 70 are provided through the piston head 36 to communicate the supply chamber 22 with the portion of the chamber 52 between the actuat' ing portion 68 and the piston head 36. Hence, during the operation of the apparatus, a thin film of liquid from the supply chamber 22 is maintained between the actuating portion 68 and the piston head 36; and the actuating portion 68 impacts the piston head 36 through this film of liquid whereby direct contact between the pistons 38, 58 is prevented to minimize the aforesaid noise and wear. The liquid is discharged from the chamber 52 through a vent opening 38a, formed through the side wall of the piston 38, and a communicating vent 24a in the housing element 24. As illustrated, the lower or forward end of the actuating portion 68 may be provided with a non-metallic insert 72, preferably of rubber or plastic, which assists in insuring that the noise of the piston impact is substantially minimized.

The second piston 58 is driven upwardly or rearwardly away from the first piston 38 by pressurized air or other fluid supplied to the lower end of the second cylinder 56 by a supply hose 74 through a supply passage 76 and the portion of the passage 64 intermediate the neck 62 of the second piston 58 and the wall 66. Pressurized air or other fluid to initiate forward or downward movement of the second piston 58 is supplied to the upper end of the second cylinder 56 through a supply hose 78 and a communicating bore 80. A valve 82 is interposed in the supply hose 78 to permit selective opening and closing of the supply of pressurized fluid through the hose 78, the valve 82 being opened to permit such fluid during start-up, but closed throughout continued operation of the apparatus. An exhaust conduit 84, provided with a muffler 86 for muffling the noise of fluid flow therethrough, is connected by a bore 88 with the second cylinder 56 at a location spaced from the upper or rearward end of the cylinder 56, thereby permitting a fluid cushion or spring to build-up in the cylinder 56 above the head portion 60 of the piston 58 during the rearward movement of the piston 58. This fluid cushion or spring and gravity serve as the sole means for fowardly or downwardly driving the piston 58.

Hence, during each cycle of the normal operation of the apparatus, pressurized fluid is supplied to the lower end of the second cylinder 56 to raise the piston 58 until the lower or foward end of the piston head 6%) is driven above the bore 88, whereupon the supply of pressurized fluid to the lower end of the second cylinder 56 is cut-off while pressurized fluid beneath the piston head 60 exhausts from the cylinder 56 through the bore 88 and the exhaust conduit 84. Then, after a sufficient volume of such fluid has been exhausted from the cylinder 56, the fluid cushion above the piston head 60 and gravity downwardly drive the second piston 58 to impact the first piston 38 through the aforedescribed liquid cushion.

More particularly, during the operation of the apparatus, pressurized water or other shower liquid at relatively low constant pressure (for example, to 60 psi.) is continuouslyprovided to the supply chamber 22 through the supply conduit 34. A minor portion of this liquid flows from the supply chamber 22 through the bore 70 in the head 36 of the first piston 38 and between such head 36 and the actuating portion 68 of the second piston 58. Normally, the remaining major portion of the shower liquid flows at its aforesaid supplied pressure from the chamber 22 into the shower conduits l4, 16 from whence it is discharged onto the filter medium 12.

Cyclically, the second piston 58 is driven upwardly by pressurized fluid from the hose 74 and then, with such fluid cut-off and the lower end of the piston head 60 above the exhaust conduit 84 to permit exhausting of pressurized fluid from the lower end of the cylinder 56, driven downwardly by the thereabove fluid spring. Hence, the actuating portion 68 of the second piston 58 is at intervals caused to impact the head 36 of the first piston 38 through the therebetween liquid film; and, due to each said impact, the first piston 38 is caused to for a brief duration (for example, a few thousands of a second) substantially increase the pressure of the liquid in the supply chamber 22 to a pressure which may be up to, for example, 5,000 psi. This liquid at greatly increased pressure flows from the supply chamber 22 through the shower conduit l4, l6 and onto the filter medium 12 but is prevented from backflowing through the supply conduit 34 by the aforesaid check valve (not shown) or relatively small cross-section of the latter. Resultantly, throughout the operation of the apparatus, shower liquid at relatively low pressure is normally supplied from the supply chamber 22 through the shower conduits l4, 16; however, cyclically and for relatively brief intervals, liquid at substantially increased pressure is so supplied.

From the preceeding description it will be seen tha the invention provides new and improved means for accomplishing all of the beforestated objects and advantages. For example, it will be seen that the apparatus of the invention, by normally providing shower fluid at relatively low pressure and intermittently for short periods of time supplying shower fluid at substantially higher pressure, minimizes the volume of shower fluid required for its operation. Moreover, the pulsating fluid flow provided by the apparatus of the invention has been found to provide substantially improved cleaning ability, it being believed that such improved cleaning that is at least partially due to the opportunity afforded the material on the porous medium to rearrange itself during the supply of lower pressure fluid whereby it is readily washed-out by the fluid at substantially increased pressure. It will also be seen that the apparatus of the invention posses relatively few moving parts and is relatively simple and economical in construction. In addition, the pulsating flow of fluid provided by the invention causes the discharge openings in the shower conduits to be self-cleaning in that the high pressure fluid drives through the openings any material which might otherwise plug them. The noise of the impacting pistons of the apparatus is, furthermore, substantially minimized by the described film of fluid between the pistons and, if also employed, by the non-metallic insert 72.

From the preceeding description, it will also be seen that, in accordance with the invention, shower fluid may be supplied by a method which, generally considered, comprises the steps of normally supplying the fluid at a first pressure and intermittently causing the pressure of the supplied fluid to be substantially in creased whereby the pressure of the supplied fluid is for short periods of time, substantially higher than said first pressure. Also, it will be seen that in the practice of this method the fluid is preferably supplied through a plurality of shower conduits arranged to cause one thereof to form a longitudinal extension of another thereof.

It will be understood, however, that, although only a single embodiment of theinvention has been illustrated and hereinbefore specifically described, the invention is not limited merely to such single embodiment but rather contemplates other embodiments and variations within the scope of the following claims.

Having thus described our invention, we claim:

ll. In combination with a filter medium, shower apparatus comprising means providing at least one shower discharge orifice operatively associated with said filter medium for discharging shower liquid onto said filter medium, supply conduit means for supplying shower liquid at a first pressure, means defining supply chamber means intermediate and interconnecting said shower discharge orifice and said supply conduit means, said supply conduit means communicating through said supply chamber means with said shower discharge orifice to permit shower liquid at said first pressure to normally flow from said supply conduit means to said shower discharge orifice hrough said supply chamber means, pressure increasing means directly associated with said supply chamber means actuatable for temporarily substantially increasing the pressure of shower liquid in said supply chamber means from said first pressure to a second pressure substantially higher than said first pressure, and actuating means for intermittently causing actuation of said pressure increasing means such that said supply chamber means normally supplies shower liquid at said first pressure to said shower discharge orifice and intermittently supplies shower liquid'at said second pressure to said pressure to said shower discharge orifice, said pressure increasing means comprising a first piston, said actuating means comprising a second piston cyclically driven to actuate said first piston, and said pistons being relatively arranged to cause said second piston to actuate said first piston by impact.

2. The combination of claim 1, further comprising means for cushioning the impacts between said pistons.

3. The combination of claim 2, wherein said impact cushioning means comprises passage means for supplying shower liquid from said supply chamber means between said pistons for cushioning their impacts.

4. The combination of claim 3, wherein said passage means comprises a bore in said first piston.

5. The combination of claim 1, wherein said first piston bounds said supply chamber means and is biased away from said supply chamber means, and further comprising passage means in said first piston for supplying shower liquid from said supply chamber means intermediate said pistons for cushioning their impacts.

6. The combination of claim 5, further comprising vent means for discharging the cushioning shower liquid from between said pistons.

7. The combination of claim 5, further comprising guide means for guiding said first piston.

8. The combination of claim 1, wherein said first piston bounds said supply chamber means and is movable towards-and-away from said supply chamber means, said first piston is actuatable to increase the pressure of shower liquid in said supply chamber means by movement towards said supply chamber means, and further comprising means for biasing said first piston away from said supply chamber means, said second piston being movable internally of said first piston.

9. The combination of claim 8, further comprising passage means for supplying shower liquid from said supply chamber means internally of said first piston for cushioning the impacts between said pistons.

10. The combination of claim 9, wherein said passage means comprises a bore in said first piston, and further comprising vent means for discharging the cushioning shower liquid from between said pistons.

11. In combination with a filter medium, shower apparatus comprising means providing at least one shower discharge orifice operatively associated with said filter medium for discharging shower liquid onto said filter medium, supply conduit means for supplying shower liquid at a first pressure, means defining supply chamber means intermediate and interconnecting said shower discharge orifice and said supply conduit means, said supply conduit means communicating through said supply chamber means with said shower discharge orifice to permit shower liquid at said first pressure to normally flow from said supply conduit means to said shower discharge orifice through said supply chamber means, and piston means directly associated with said supply chamber means and, including a piston operable to, by impact, cause the pressure of shower liquid in said supply chamber means to be substantially increased from said first pressure to a second pressure substantially higher than said first pressure, such that shower liquid at said first and second pressures is alternately supplied by said supply chamber means to said shower discharge orifice. 

1. In combination with a filter medium, shower apparatus comprising means providing at least one shower discharge orifice operatively associated with said filter medium for discharging shower liquid onto said filter medium, supply conduit means for supplying shower liquid at a first pressure, means defining supply chamber means intermediate and interconnecting said shower discharge orifice and said supply conduit means, said supply conduit means communicating through said supply chamber means with said shower discharge orifice to permit shower liquid at said first pressure to normally flow from said supply conduit means to said shower discharge orifice through said supply chamber means, pressure increasing means directly associated with said supply chamber means actuatable for temporarily substantially increasing the pressure oF shower liquid in said supply chamber means from said first pressure to a second pressure substantially higher than said first pressure, and actuating means for intermittently causing actuation of said pressure increasing means such that said supply chamber means normally supplies shower liquid at said first pressure to said shower discharge orifice and intermittently supplies shower liquid at said second pressure to said pressure to said shower discharge orifice, said pressure increasing means comprising a first piston, said actuating means comprising a second piston cyclically driven to actuate said first piston, and said pistons being relatively arranged to cause said second piston to actuate said first piston by impact.
 2. The combination of claim 1, further comprising means for cushioning the impacts between said pistons.
 3. The combination of claim 2, wherein said impact cushioning means comprises passage means for supplying shower liquid from said supply chamber means between said pistons for cushioning their impacts.
 4. The combination of claim 3, wherein said passage means comprises a bore in said first piston.
 5. The combination of claim 1, wherein said first piston bounds said supply chamber means and is biased away from said supply chamber means, and further comprising passage means in said first piston for supplying shower liquid from said supply chamber means intermediate said pistons for cushioning their impacts.
 6. The combination of claim 5, further comprising vent means for discharging the cushioning shower liquid from between said pistons.
 7. The combination of claim 5, further comprising guide means for guiding said first piston.
 8. The combination of claim 1, wherein said first piston bounds said supply chamber means and is movable towards-and-away from said supply chamber means, said first piston is actuatable to increase the pressure of shower liquid in said supply chamber means by movement towards said supply chamber means, and further comprising means for biasing said first piston away from said supply chamber means, said second piston being movable internally of said first piston.
 9. The combination of claim 8, further comprising passage means for supplying shower liquid from said supply chamber means internally of said first piston for cushioning the impacts between said pistons.
 10. The combination of claim 9, wherein said passage means comprises a bore in said first piston, and further comprising vent means for discharging the cushioning shower liquid from between said pistons.
 11. In combination with a filter medium, shower apparatus comprising means providing at least one shower discharge orifice operatively associated with said filter medium for discharging shower liquid onto said filter medium, supply conduit means for supplying shower liquid at a first pressure, means defining supply chamber means intermediate and interconnecting said shower discharge orifice and said supply conduit means, said supply conduit means communicating through said supply chamber means with said shower discharge orifice to permit shower liquid at said first pressure to normally flow from said supply conduit means to said shower discharge orifice through said supply chamber means, and piston means directly associated with said supply chamber means and including a piston operable to, by impact, cause the pressure of shower liquid in said supply chamber means to be substantially increased from said first pressure to a second pressure substantially higher than said first pressure, such that shower liquid at said first and second pressures is alternately supplied by said supply chamber means to said shower discharge orifice. 